Line-spacing mechanism for type-writing machines.



No. 774,637. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904. P. H. ARMSTRONG.

LINE SPAGING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLIGATIOIY FILED MAY 12, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

NO. 774,637. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

' P. H. ARMSTRONG. LINE SPAGING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. ARMSTRONG, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 774,637, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed May 12, 1904.

T0 (bl/L w/wm, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, Cayuga county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Line-Spacing Mechanisms for Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for rotating the platen a certain distance to properly space the lines.

The objects of the invention are to provide a line-spacing pawl-and-ratchet mechanism which may be adjusted readily for spacing the lines at different desired distances; also, to cause the hand-lever of said pawl-and-ratchet mechanism to serve as the means for returning the carriage to the starting-point; also, to provide a novel stop-pawl and brake mechanism for the platen; also, to provide for rotating the platen by the usual pawl-wheel without actuating the line-spacing mechanism. These objects I accomplish by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective of a portion of a.

platen-carrier and its platen with my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of one end of the platen-carrier. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of the lever, pawl, and means for adjusting the throw of the pawl. Fig. 7 is a perspective similar to Fig. l with the spacing-lever and pawl removed. Fig. 8 is a perspective of the brake. Fig. 9 is a perspective of the parts shown in Fig. 7 from the opposite side. Figs. 10,11, and 12 are detail views.

A designates the platen-carrier, which is movable with a carriage. (Not shown.) This platen-carrier is provided with end standards A, in the upper ends of which is mounted a platen B, which will have the usual handwheel (not shown) at its right-hand end.

To the left-hand end of the platen-shaft is connected a double ratchet-wheelG, provided on its outer face with crown ratchet-teeth 0 Serial No.207g522. (No model.)

and having on its periphery other ratchetteeth 0'. These latter ratchet-teeth have no abrupt walls, but are formed by a series of curved depressions. At the inner side of the ratchet-wheel C there is formed a brake-surface 0 Below this combined ratchet and brake wheel C the platen-carrier is provided with a pair of longitudinally-projecting lugs a, and to these lugs is pivoted the lower forked end (Z of the spacing and carriage-operating lever D. This lever extends up a suitable distance and is movable toward and from the outer face of the wheel C or in the direction of the length of the platen. The lever D has a slot cl in one arm of its forlnand into this slot projects a pin (Z from one of the lugs a, so that the lever is held from undue movement in either direction. The lever D is pressed outwardly by means of a spring (Z as shown in Fig. 2. E is the line-spacing pawl, pivoted at its lower end to the outer side of fork (Z of lever D and pressed inwardly toward the face of wheel C by means of a spring a, but held out of contact with the ratchet 0 by means of a stop-pin e, as shown in Fig. 2. The pawl E is provided with a longitudinal slot 6 and on its outer face the pawl is provided with transverse grooves 6 which intersect the slot 6 (See Figs. 1, 2, and 4.) The throw of the pawl E is governed by any one of a series of stepped shoulders 03 d d on the adjacent side of lever D through the medium of a T-headed dog F, the cross-barfof which lies in any one of the slots 6 and projects inwardly into the path of any one of the said shoulders (Z d (Z according to its adjustment. The shank f of the dog F projects through the slot 6 and is provided at its inner end with a collar f loose washer f and a spiral spring f between the two, so that the spring will hold the dog in engagement with the grooves e and allow of the ready adjustment of the dog. As many of these shoulders (Z and grooves may be provided as desired, and they may be so relatively arranged as to cause the spacing to be for a half-line, full line, double line, &c.

It will be seen that as the pawl E is normall y disengaged from the wheel C the platen may be rotated in the usual manner without operating the spacing mechanism. \Vhenever the lever D is moved inwardly to bring the pawl E into engagement with the teeth 0, the

pawl will be moved upwardly, and then a shoulder d" will engage the dog F and move the pawl inwardly into engagement with the ratchet-teeth 0, when by moving the lever D inwardly to its full extent the platen will be rotated a line-space. By still bearing inwardly on the lever D the platen-carrier and the carriage on which it is mounted will be moved from left to right the desired distance. In order that the feed may be in line units, 1 provide a detent-lever (Jr, mounted at right angles to the lever D on a stud g, projecting from the standard A and pressed toward the rear side of the teeth a of wheel 0 by a spring g. In order that friction may be lessened, the acting end of the detent-lever G is formed by a roller which allows the platen to be rotated in either direction and will ride from one recess or tooth 0 to another.

The detent-lever G is provided near its outer end with a curved slot g, in which works a pin it, projecting from the side of a brakeshoe H, which engages at its forward curved edges the annular brake surface 0 The brake-shoe H is provided with a handle it. When the pin 71/ is in the upper portion of slot g as shown in Fig. 10, the roller will be allowed to engage the ratchet c, as the slot allows the detent-lever G to swing far enough toward the ratchet for the purpose; but when the pin it is in the lower end of slot g the detent-lever roller will be held away from the ratchet 0, as shown in Fig. 10, and the bralre-shoe H will be pressed by the springpressed detent-lever Gr against the annular brake-surface c and so hold the platen at any position which may be given it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the platen-ratchet, of an angle-lever pivoted at its lower inner end to swing upwardly and inwardly toward the face of the ratchet, means for retracting said lever, a spring-pressed pawl pivoted at its lower end to the horizontal arm of the le ver to move upwardly therewith and engage the ratchet in front of and below its axis, the said pawl being normally held away from the ratchet, and an adjustable abutment between the pawl and upper side of the outer end of the horizontal arm of the lever to limit the upward throw of the pawl at the end of its feed.

2. The combination with the platen-ratchet, of a lever having a stepped shouldered surface, and a pawl pivoted on the lever to actuate the ratchet and having a sliding adjustable dog to engage any one of said shoulders.

3. The combination with the platen-ratchet, of a lever having a stepped shouldered surface, a longitudinally-slotted pawl having transverse recesses, and a spring-pressed dog having its shank working in the pawl-slot and its cross-head engaging any one of said recesses and adapted for engagement with the said shouldered surface of the lever.

4. The combination with the platen-actuating ratchet having crown-teeth, a lever mounted to swing toward and from the face of the ratchet and having a stepped shoulder-surface, a stop to limit the throw of the lever, a pawl pivoted at its lower end to the lever and normally disengaged from the ratchet, an adjustable dog on the pawl to engage any one of said shoulders, and springs controlling the lever and the pawl; the said lever when moved toward the end of the platen serving to actuate the pawl and ratchet and also to slide the carriage on which they are mounted.

5. The combination with a platen having an annular series of hollows or teeth and an annular brake-surface, of a detent-lever having a detent between its ends engaging said hollows or teeth, and a brake-shoe to engage said brake-surface having a pivotal sliding connection with the upper end of said lever, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with the platen-carrier, and the platen journaled thereon and having a ratchet-wheel on one end provided with teeth on its outer face, of a spring-pressed angle-lever pivoted at the inner end of its lower horizontal member to the said platencarrier beneath the ratchet, a pawl pivoted at its lower end to said horizontal lever member, a stop on the lever holding the nose of the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet, a spring pressing the pawl against the said stop, and means between the outer side of the pawl and upper edge of its lever for operativel y connecting the lever and pawl after the latter is moved upwardly and rearwardly toward the end of the platen.

7. A line-spacing mechanism comprising a wheel for the end of the platen, having ratchet teeth on its outer face, hollows or recesses around its periphery and an annular brakesurface beyond said hollows or recesses, a spring-pressed spacing-lever pivoted to swing lengthwise of the platen toward said face-- ratchet, a spring-pressed pawl mounted on the lever to engage and actuate said ratchet, a spring-pressed stop-lever at right angles to the spacing-lever and provided with a roller engaging said peripheral recesses, and a brakeshoe mounted on said stop-lever and engaging said annular brake-surface.

8. The combination with the platen having a ratchet and an annular brake-surface, of

pawl, a spring pressing the pawl toward the ratchet; the said pawl being provided beyond where it engages the ratchet with a curved sl0t,-and a brake-shoe engaging said annular surface and provided with a pin working in said slot, said pin allowing the pawl to engage its ratchet when in the upper part of a the slot and holding the pawl away from the ratchet when in the lower part of the slot. IO

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

FRANK H. ARMSTRONG. Witnesses:

W. H. HARRIS, H. E. GALLINGER. 

